Post Match Thoughts – Hull City

Yesterday’s game against Hull was the sort of day which has become, unfortunately, only too familiar to Rams fans over the last few years.

A big crowd turn out expecting to see the Rams roll over some average opposition, only for the team not to turn up and make said opposition look like Barcelona, prior to wildly celebrating the most comfortable away day they’ll have all season.

It’s not incisive, cutting edge commentary to say that our early season form was built on tight defending and taking our chances when they arose.

The two goals we conceded yesterday were awful. Forget offside, their right back ran 50 yards unchallenged for the first goal and the second was a good 10 yards onside, mainly because Shacks was 10 yards behind everyone else, appealing for offside.

"Hey boss, I could give left back a try if ye want"

At the other end, the majority of our attacking threat (with respect to Wardy who is having a superb season) left the pitch with Theo. Cwyka was weak and awful all afternoon and now looks like his time at DCFC maybe up. Maguire was again ineffectual and is starting to look a bit like a Dave Martin signing (in that he doesn’t seem to have a position) and Ben Davies didn’t deliver a single decent cross from open play all afternoon.

I love Bryso and Hendrik and think they’ve both had great seasons, but witness the way both Cardiff and Hull completely closed out the game against us, without giving us a sniff. Mckenna’s a wanker, but do you think we’d have lost to Peterborough if he was in our midfield? The young Rams just don’t seem capable of performing or breaking down that type of game management at the moment.

It remains to be seen how long Theo will be out for, but if its anything more than one week, we have to make a move for a striker. We’re not that far off the pace and the return of Brayford and Barks will hopefully stem the tide at the other end. However we need to get back on the front foot and there’s nothing like signing a new striker to lift the spirits. Failing that, it’s surely time to give Callum Ball a long overdue start.

Predictably, the radio and twitter post match was full of all the people who were shouting for Clough to get his new contract , now suggesting he’d lost the plot and had to go. So that 2 years and 11 months compo then chaps? Jesus.

Talking of Nigel, his post match comments that there wasnt a lot between the sides yesterday were way off the mark, but I did agree that the Rams never stopped working and trying even though it clearly wasn’t our day.

This is a different side to last year and I am confident that the season isn’t about to fall off a cliff. Having said that we need to get the show back on the road sooner rather than later if we want to stay in the shake up. A point or more at West Ham and the end of our TV hex would be a good start.

As usual, a measured, sensible analysis of the game (though calling someone a wanker, in my view, is unnecessary and lowers the journalistic tone.)
I think you are a bit harsh on Cwyka- he got no service at all. One of the reasons I chose overhere as my twitter name is that that is what I shout most Saturdays… we never seem to pass the ball out wide.
Overall it was a deeply disappointing game.However poor we have been this season, we have, until yesterday, shown spirit and desire to get and keep the ball. That was lacking and that was what lead to disappointment.

Read in the Observer yesterday that the Rams have faced the most shots of any team in the division (over 30 more than the second place team, Peterborough). A stonkin’ great 257 shots have rained down on our hapless custodian. We need to tighten up all over the field, and getting in some experience in central mid would be a start. Hendrick and Bryson have both done well, but they’re too attacking – combine that with playing two attack minded wide men in Ben Avies and Ward (or Cywka) and we are just too easy to open up down the middle.

I missed the first couple of games of the season due to being abroad, so I may have missed the displays that caused my son’s enthusiasm over the signings/performances of Shackell and Bryson (and Lee Croft). My initial impressions were that the team looked more composed than last season (possibly the positive effect of Mr Savage’s departure) and certainly much more committed to winning – less likely for their confidence to wilt if they went behind.

It was obvious to me even then however, that most of our improvements were related to a resurgence in the form of Steve Davies, Ben Davies, and the inclusion of Hendrick and O Brien rather than the result of our signings. In addition, Theo, despite having some limitations over his close control and inability to head, was using his pace and instinct for scoring to good effect.

Now that Steve Davies and Theo are out, and the form of the two youngsters appears to be waning a little, we’re back to bad habits – chiefly our tendency to play too deep, and our consequent hurried poor distribution because forward players are finding too little space. My concern is that this tendency is linked to confidence – it’s a confident team that plays on the front foot, it’s an uncertain team whose instinct is to fall back.

We’ve now gone from thinking in terms of ‘top 6′ to fears of another relegation battle in pretty short order, and it may even be that bad if we aren’t able to remedy my chief concern – ie that the side lacks true class in any position – players who are assured and can assure and inspire other sround them, and give them the confidence to move forward. Barks’ return could be very influential here, but we need some class both in midfield and up front. In our last promotion year this was provided for us by David Jones and Giles Barnes – a couple in that mould could get us going again, but we need to spend more than we’ve been prepared to of late. I’m in support of the general approach of GSE to maintaining financial soundness, but in this game you do have to be prepared to take measured risks when investing in players.

I think it’s interesting that the only two signings that Clough didn’t get in the summer we’re the last striker and the experienced midfielder and now they’re the two positions hurting us.

The return of Barks will definitely help Shackell, who can concentrate back on his own game and hopefully get his awesome early season from back. You’d like to think Greeny could do similar for Bryson.

All feedback on the site is always welcome by us. But wIth regard to swearing, this isn’t the DET. Swearing for the sake of it is boring and pointless. However our site is supposed to be partisan and the odd word here and there adds a bit of character . Good job you didn’t read The Burleyline back in the day!